Werther and the (putative) power of literature
Friends of literature often claim that it is capable of making readers more tolerant and benevolent. Enemies of literature, on the other hand, claim that it is capable of corrupting readers. Both groups exaggerate the power of literature. The exaggeration has important consequences for the debate ab...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Rede Brasileira Direito e Literatura
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Anamorphosis |
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| Online Access: | http://rdl.org.br/seer/index.php/anamps/article/view/582 |
| _version_ | 1818267415924965376 |
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| author | Fábio Perin Shecaira |
| author_facet | Fábio Perin Shecaira |
| author_sort | Fábio Perin Shecaira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Friends of literature often claim that it is capable of making readers more tolerant and benevolent. Enemies of literature, on the other hand, claim that it is capable of corrupting readers. Both groups exaggerate the power of literature. The exaggeration has important consequences for the debate about the role of literature in the curriculum of law schools and also for the debate about the limits of literary expression. This paper discusses one literary work frequently used to exemplify the negative effects of literature: Goethe’s The sorrows of young Werther. It is a commonplace among literary scholars that the publication of the book caused numerous suicides in eighteenth-century Europe. This paper raises doubts about that commonplace by emphasizing the lack of evidence to support it as well as the gravity of its political implications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T20:22:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f96e635c017d43a0a9690e4ea48cf3f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2446-8088 2446-8088 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T20:22:14Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Rede Brasileira Direito e Literatura |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Anamorphosis |
| spelling | doaj.art-f96e635c017d43a0a9690e4ea48cf3f72022-12-22T00:13:14ZengRede Brasileira Direito e LiteraturaAnamorphosis2446-80882446-80882019-12-015237539310.21119/anamps.52.375-393405Werther and the (putative) power of literatureFábio Perin Shecaira0Faculdade Nacional de Direito (UFRJ)Friends of literature often claim that it is capable of making readers more tolerant and benevolent. Enemies of literature, on the other hand, claim that it is capable of corrupting readers. Both groups exaggerate the power of literature. The exaggeration has important consequences for the debate about the role of literature in the curriculum of law schools and also for the debate about the limits of literary expression. This paper discusses one literary work frequently used to exemplify the negative effects of literature: Goethe’s The sorrows of young Werther. It is a commonplace among literary scholars that the publication of the book caused numerous suicides in eighteenth-century Europe. This paper raises doubts about that commonplace by emphasizing the lack of evidence to support it as well as the gravity of its political implications.http://rdl.org.br/seer/index.php/anamps/article/view/582o poder da literaturacensuragoetheefeito werther |
| spellingShingle | Fábio Perin Shecaira Werther and the (putative) power of literature Anamorphosis o poder da literatura censura goethe efeito werther |
| title | Werther and the (putative) power of literature |
| title_full | Werther and the (putative) power of literature |
| title_fullStr | Werther and the (putative) power of literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Werther and the (putative) power of literature |
| title_short | Werther and the (putative) power of literature |
| title_sort | werther and the putative power of literature |
| topic | o poder da literatura censura goethe efeito werther |
| url | http://rdl.org.br/seer/index.php/anamps/article/view/582 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fabioperinshecaira wertherandtheputativepowerofliterature |